[UgaBYTES] Fwd: Re: [i-network] RE: Rural communication: Is there still a need for telecentres now that there are mobile phones?

[Senfuka Samuel]

Dear Sarah,

I thank you for bringing members to attention of this provocative topic
among telecentre practioners. When I came across the study by APC I
posted it to different lists for discussions and below I dig out my
views on the report which I posted on one of the lists.

Kind regards,



-- 
Senfuka Samuel
Program Officer
CEEWA-Uganda
P.O.Box 9063
Kampala-Uganda
Tel:+256-41-4269477/507
Fax:+256-41-4269469
Email:samuel.senfuka at ceewauganda.org
Website:www.ceewauganda.org
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceewa-uganda>
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Senfuka Samuel" <samuel.senfuka at ceewauganda.org>
To: "I-Network Uganda" <i-network at dgroups.org>
Subject: Re: [i-network] RE: Rural communication: Is there still a need
for telecentres now that there are mobile phones?
Date: Oct 30, 2008 11:57


Dear Prisca,



It's true mobile technology is gaining popularity, has potential to be
effective for content dissemination, mobility, to some extent
inclusiveness and its interactivity but it has its own challenges like
other ICT tools.



* It uses power like the computers. In my village people who have phones
still walk 5km to charge them meaning 10km for a return journey and by
the way it stays there for some days. Some times they are lost or parts
changed.

* Low awareness that a mobile phone is more than a tool for talking like
there is low awareness about other ICTs. I agree with you people take
long to respond to emails than text on their phones but how many of
those who own mobile phones know how to use the SMS function? Some time
back I posted on this dgroup that we conducted a training for 96 rural
women and men on application of mobile telephony for enterprise
development and 36 out of 96 owned phones but only 13 knew a little bit
of using sms!!!!



*Limited relevant services offered by telecom companies in the context
of our country (leave alone the unsolicited messages-spam)

* A mobile phone is still not user friendly to my mum in the village in
terns of its functionality and applications same as the intrenet.

So the rush by some development partners to bring ICT4D projects in
rural Africa
was not well conceived in the design and conceptual stages of these
projects. Their focus was mainly on technologies and less emphasis on
how they could benefit the communities .



In short
*A mobile phone should be complementary tool.

*We need (CSOs, Private sector, government) to raise awareness about the
potential of mobile communications in *stimulating demand and supply of
services like we need to do the same with other ICTs.

*We need to form partnerships those who possess the content like CSOs,
government and those with the expertise and infrastructure MTN, Zain,
UTL..... and increase on the spectrum of services offered by telecoms.

Otherwise I still see same challanges which may limit access to and
utilization of mobile phones like it is with other ICTs.

Best regards,


-- 
Senfuka Samuel
Program Officer
CEEWA-Uganda
P.O.Box 9063
Kampala-Uganda
Tel:+256-41-4269477/507
Fax:+256-41-4269469
Email:samuel.senfuka at ceewauganda.org
Website:www.ceewauganda.org
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceewa-uganda>

On Oct 29, 2008 13:38 "UWEAL" <uweal at enterprise.co.ug> wrote:

> 
> Dear Samuel,
> 
> 
> 
> The Article is a reality to me and I believe to many more. I am proud
> to be among the 5% ICT literate Ugandans however, I get disappointed
> on how long (people) even those with 24 hour access to internet take
> to respond to mails I consider urgent. On the Contrary, whenever I
> pick a phone I get an answer there and then. Look at mobilization for
> participation for weddings…how fast, smart, and effective. One can
> avoid an in coming mail but not an sms on personal phone.
> 
> 
> 
> My illiterate dear mum in deep rural Uganda rears chicken but all her
> suppliers and buyers use her mobile personal computer (phone) to do
> business with her. That’s how real the article you shared is. None the
> less, all forms of ICT for social and economic development serve a
> particular need and therefore are not without limitations. So no
> pursuance of a particular form of ICT can bring development.
> 
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mashengyero Prisca - Thembo
> 
> Executive Director
> 
> Plot 38 Lumumba Avenue, Nakaselo
> 
> P.o Box 10002, Kampala - Uganda
> 
> +256 - 414 - 343952
> 
> Mob. +256 - 075 1904000
> 
> +256 -0772501277
> 
> uweal at enterprise.co.ug
> 
> mashengyero at yahoo.com
> 
> 
> 
> UWEAL envisions a wealthy woman responsibly contributing to national
> economic growth.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From:Senfuka Samuel [mailto:samuel.senfuka at ceewauganda.org]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 9:05 AM
> To: I-Network Uganda
> Subject: [i-network] Rural communication: Is there still a need for
> telecentres now that there are mobile phones?
> 
> 
> 
> Dear members telecentre practioners and all those interested in ICT4D,
> 
> Here is an interesting study by APC on Mobile phones and other ICTs. I
> know it will generate a lot of debate but it's a good read for you.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> -- 
> 
> Senfuka Samuel
> 
> Program Officer
> 
> CEEWA-Uganda
> 
> P.O.Box9063
> 
> Kampala-Uganda
> 
> Tel:+256-41-4269477/507
> 
> Fax:+256-41-4269469
> 
> Email:samuel.senfuka at ceewauganda.org
> 
> Website:www.ceewauganda.org
> 
> <http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceewa-uganda>
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: "APC" <webeditor at apc.org>
> To: <samuel.senfuka at ceewauganda.org>
> Subject: [APCNews/Text] APCNews - October 28 2008 - Year IX Issue 90
> Date: Oct 28, 2008 20:34
> 
> ------------APCNEWS - OCTOBER 28 2008 - YEAR IX ISSUE 90------------
> 
> ————————————
> APCNews - October 28 2008 - Year IX Issue 90
> The news service on ICTs for social justice and sustainable
> development
> ————————————
> 
> Mobile phone towers dominate the landscape of many countries where
> decent
> internet access still remains a dream. The Economist is telling us
> that mobile
> is all that matters now and many donors have succumbed to this vision,
> retreating en-masse from rural information and communication
> technology
> development. The author of a new report commissioned by APC concludes
> that "This
> has left the development of ICTs in the hands of large,
> highly-centralised
> telecoms." This edition, APCNews looks at the rationale behind getting
> internet
> into rural areas via wireless and not leaving it all to mobile, and
> reports back
> on real-life community efforts that have been taking internet access
> to parts of
> Latin America ignored by large companies. We also cover a tiny new
> hand-held
> computer that runs for hours and hours and hours…
> 
> ————————————
> 
> - NEWS -
> 
> Rural communication: Is there still a need for telecentres now that
> there are
> mobile phones?
> 
> MONTEVIDEO (Ian Howard for APCNews) - Following the initial rush of
> information
> and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) projects in
> rural Africa,
> many did not yield the anticipated outcomes, and interest has been
> dying down.
> People then began talking about "sustainable ICT" projects that would
> become
> self-sufficient after their initial set-up period. But with mobile
> phones
> gaining in popularity, popular rhetoric has begun to question the need
> of ICTs
> beyond the mobile phone. While mobiles have had a great impact in
> rural areas, a
> new study by Ian Howard, commissioned by APC, argues that the need for
> telecentres and affordable internet connections exists, as such
> centres cater to
> rural and niche markets the way larger companies cannot.
> [http://www.apc.org/en/node/7178/]
> 
> Read Howard's study
> [http://www.apc.org/en/node/7237/]
> 
> 
> 
> The I-Network Dgroup is a platform for ICT Knowledge Sharing:- Dgroups
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